The Next Big Thing?

There is a meme going around the blogging world with the goal of finding out who is writing the next great novel or poem. Yesterday Eric from Sinistral Scribblings answered the questions about his own work-in-progress and was kind enough to tag me afterwards. Like he mentioned, a lot of these memes are really just ways for bloggers to pat themselves on the back, but in this case since it involves talking about a novel-in-progress it seems like something fun to post about.

After all, I have already written over 13,000 words of the first draft over the course of my 14-part series. Perhaps talking about the novel some more will push me back toward writing it again.

1) What is the working title of your book? The working title is The Curse of Fierabras. It came about because I am modeling some ideas on my character, Dante, and his abilities from the concept of a paladin, both from literature and video games. The name Fierabras came from the Song of Roland, which covers the exploits of Roland and the twelve paladins, so I thought it fitting to use that name as the first paladin in this novel. The reason it is a curse is because everyone in the past who was born with this power died a tragic death at a young age.

2) Where did the idea for your book come from? Honestly, it has come from a mixture of ideas I have had over the years. I have so many fragmented scenes and plots that have been stirring in my mind for so long, and this is a way to try and get a main storyline that is able to encompass at least some of them along the way. The ideas have to be pretty good if they have stuck in memory over a long span of time. A lot of my influences have come from other fantasy novels and Role-Playing video games.

4) What actors would you choose to play a movie rendition of your book? This is a tough one since I haven’t really considered the possibility at all. Hugh Jackman or Robert Downey Jr. would probably make a good Jerek, and I think a solid action actress like Scarlett Johansson would be a good fit for a leading female role.

5) What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book? Dante Silverstar travels across the seven kingdoms to unlock the secret to his own magic – a powerful magic that could overthrow the Emperor’s tyrannical reign and restore peace to the land – before its curse kills him and his allies.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Like Eric, I would love to have it get represented by an agency. Partly because I wouldn’t be good at self-promotion and partly because it would be nice to get signed by a company like TOR. But I won’t completely rule out the self-publishing route.

7)How long did it take you to write the first draft of your novel? Considering it is still a work-in-progress, I cannot answer this question. I was once on a 1,000 word per week pace with this, which is something I think I could realistically resume or exceed in the near future. I’d like to see a first draft done within the next year.

8)What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? It is hard to be so bold as to compare my story to other great books in the genre, so instead I’ll share a few authors that help me to draw some inspiration. The three authors that have probably influenced me the most have been J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Goodkind, and David Eddings. If my book ever gets compared to any other their novels I would consider myself proud.

9)Who or what inspired you to write this book? My love for reading and writing has inspired me to write the book. Also the support of some key family members and friends who have encouraged me to continue writing. I’ve always known I had stories to tell but have never seen a major project, like a novel, through to completion. I believe my record, prior to this one, was making it to about chapter seven before losing motivation. It is time to prove to myself that I can finish a full novel and fulfill one of my dreams.

10)What else about your book might pique the readers interest? The first part of the book has Dante fighting for his life in an arena, which is where the first hints of his power manifest. Fans of Ava from the Monster Hunter series will be excited to know that she will be entering into this book at some point and will still be a badass chick when she makes her appearance. There will be a few exciting plot twists along the way, one of them involving an unexpected romance. Plus an elaborate fantasy world, inhabited by a variety of races (like elves and dwarves) and hordes of monsters, will come alive in this novel.

So now we come to the part where I get to tag someone and they take their turn talking about their novel. A few weeks ago I found a blog through the Scriptic prompt exchange and her writing style hooked me immediately. Because I have enjoyed what I have read so far of the Jade Dragon series, I want to know more from Christine at Trudging Through Fog. Tag, you’re it!